16464 results for "sec+and+unspecified+malignant+neoplasm"

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• Single-nucleus transcriptomic profiling of aging Down Syndrome brains

  Down syndrome (DS) – trisomy of human chromosome 21 (HSA21) – is characterized by lifelong cognitive impairments and development of neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The cellular and molecular modifications responsible for these effects are not understood. Here we performed single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) employing both short (Illumina) and long-read (Pacific Biosciences) sequencing technologies on a total of 29 DS and non-DS control prefrontal cortex samples. In DS, the ratio of inhibitory-to-excitatory neurons was significantly increased, which was not observed in previous reports examining sporadic AD. DS microglial transcriptomes displayed AD-related aging and activation signatures in advance of AD neuropathology, with increased microglial expression of C1q complement genes (associated with dendritic pruning) and the HSA21 transcription factor gene RUNX1. Long-read sequencing detected vast RNA isoform diversity within and amongst specific cell types including numerous novel sequences that differed between DS and normal brains. Notably, over 8,000 genes produced RNAs containing intra-exonic junctions (IEJs), including APP that had previously been associated with somatic gene recombination. These and related results illuminate large-scale cellular and transcriptomic alterations as novel features of the aging DS brain.

  Study EGAS00001005691

• UK10K_OBESITY_GS

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches. The GS samples are part of the Obesity group and will undergo exome sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001000242

• We performed whole-exome sequencing of 20 samples (10 actinic keratosis and 10 cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma) to investigate a potential relationship between DNA methylation-based subtypes and genetic mutation patterns (Rodriguez-Paredes et al., Nat Commun 2017)

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer type and arises from keratinocytes. Most cSCC progress from a UV-induced precancerous lesion termed actinic keratosis (AK). Despite various efforts to characterize these lesions molecularly, the etiology of AK and its progression to cSCC remain only partially understood. Here we have used Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips to interrogate the DNA methylation status of about 850.000 CpGs in epidermal preparations from healthy skin, AK and cSCC. Importantly, we found that the premalignant AK samples displayed classical features of cancer methylomes and were highly similar to cSCC methylomes. Further analysis identified typical features of stem cell methylomes, such as a reduced DNA methylation age, non-CpG methylation and stem cell-related keratin and enhancer methylation patterns. Interestingly, this signature was detected only in one half of the AK and cSCC samples, while the other half showed keratin and enhancer methylation patterns that were more closely related to the control epidermis. These findings suggest the existence of two distinct subclasses of AK and cSCC that originate from distinct keratinocyte differentiation stages.

  Study EGAS00001002670

• TRACERx Renal 100

  Evolutionary dynamics of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have not been studied prospectively or across all disease stages. Through the multi-centre prospective cohort study, Renal TRACERx Renal, we analysed 1209 primary tumour regions from 101 patients with ccRCC. We detect up to 30 driver events in a single tumour, and show that subclonal diversification is associated with known clinical parameters. Defining driver event co-occurrence, mutual exclusivity and timing at clone level, we reveal deterministic patterns of clonal evolution and disease progression. We find that ccRCC can be grouped into seven distinct evolutionary subtypes, ranging from tumours characterised by early fixation of multiple mutational and copy number driver events that can disseminate widely and rapidly; to highly branched tumours with >10 subclonal drivers and extensive parallel evolution presenting with oligometastatic disease. We identify either heterogeneity or chromosome instability, or both, as determinants of patient outcome. Our insights reconcile the variable clinical behaviour of ccRCC and the benefit of surgical intervention in early and late-stage disease; and offer potential biomarker opportunities to maximise the benefit of both surgery and active surveillance.

  Study EGAS00001002793

• Circulating tumor cells Exome sequencing from breast cancer

  Single cell technologies allow interrogating the extent of tumor heterogeneity, providing novel insights into tumor evolution and treatment resistance mechanisms. Here, we investigated the level of genetic heterogeneity among circulating tumor cells (CTCs) at the single nucleotide variation and copy number aberration (CNA) levels and compared it to synchronous matched primary tumor/metastatic lesion from 3 metastatic breast cancer patients with triple-negative (TNBC), HER2-positive (HER2+) and estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) tumors. Whole exome sequencing was performed on 3 synchronous bulk tumor tissue and 21 single/pooled CTC samples. When comparing bulk tissue with CTCs from the same patient, we found similar CNA profiles and the same patient-specific driver mutations for the HER2+ and TNBC tumors. Different CNA profiles and driver mutations were found for the ER+ tumor, with two distinct clones being identified in the CTCs, one harboring an activating ESR1 mutation, the other one bearing a TP53 mutation. These data suggest that tumor tissue and CTCs provide in a subset of patients complementary clinically relevant information to map tumor heterogeneity and monitor tumor evolution. Further validation is needed.

  Study EGAS00001005228

• Immune and clinicopathological features predict HER2-positive breast cancer prognosis in the neoadjuvant NeoALTTO and CALGB 40601 trials

  The identification of prognostic drivers in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy is crucial for treatment optimization in HER2-positive breast cancer, with the immune microenvironment being a key factor. Here, we investigated the complexity of B and T cell receptor (BCR and TCR) repertoires, reflecting antigen-specific immune response, in the context of two phase III trials, namely NeoALTTO and CALGB 40601, evaluating neoadjuvant paclitaxel with trastuzumab and/or lapatinib in women affected by HER2-positive breast cancer. BCR/TCR features were heterogeneous, and BCR measures describing clonal expansion demonstrated independent prognostic value. A model developed in NeoALTTO and validated in CALGB 40601 predicted event-free survival (EFS) by integrating hormone receptor and clinical nodal status, treatment response (breast pCR)breast pathological complete response (pCR) as well as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and BCR evenness, measuring the equality of BCR clonal distribution. The HER2-EveNT score derived from the model allows the identification of patients with 5-year EFS > 90%, and, in those not achieving pCR, of a subgroup of immune-enriched tumors with an excellent outcome despite residual disease.

  Study EGAS00001007563

• NIDCD Otitis Media Genetic Susceptibility and Middle Ear Microbial Shifts

  The study funded by R01 DC015004 aims to: (1) Identify rare OM susceptibility variants within families and in probands; and (2) Identify differences in the middle ear microbiome due to OM susceptibility variants. This study will also elucidate mechanisms responsible for the formation and growth of cholesteatoma, and bony erosion and complications due to cholesteatoma e.g. intracranial, hearing/vestibular loss, facial nerve palsy. A better understanding of cholesteatoma pathogenesis will potentially reveal novel drug targets, which can lead to new non-surgical therapies for cholesteatomatous OM. Our specific aims for this administrative supplement are: Aim 1 -- Perform RNA-sequencing using cholesteatoma samples collected from Filipino and Colorado patients who will be screened for FUT2, SPINK5 and A2ML1 variants; and Aim 2 -- Using network analysis, identify bone-expressed proteins potentially interacting with FUT2, SPINK5 or A2ML1, then test protein expression in archival human temporal bone in direct contact with cholesteatoma.

  Study phs001941

• Genome-Wide Association Study of Parkinson Disease: Genes and Environment

  This is a gene-environment study of Parkinson's disease. PD is a common, progressive, age-related, movement disorder that affects 1-2% of the people over the age of 65. The NeuroGenetics Research Consortium (NGRC) is the infrastructure of the study. Protocols and methods are standardized across NGRC clinics and labs as much as possible. The 2000 patients and 2000 control subjects selected for this GWAS were recruited at the NGRC-affiliated movement disorder clinics in Oregon, Washington, Georgia and New York. All 4000 subjects were white and all DNA samples were extracted from whole blood and unamplified. Seventy-five percent of subjects have data on cigarette smoking and caffeinated coffee consumption, which are inversely associated with PD risk. This study population represents the norm for clinical genetic studies of PD; i.e., NGRC estimates of risk to relatives, heritability, genotype frequencies, and exposure frequencies (see references) are very close to estimates from meta-analyses.

  Study phs000196

• Single-cell Profiling of an In Vitro Model of Human Interneuron Development Reveals Temporal Dynamics of Cell Type Production and Maturation

  GABAergic interneurons are essential for neural circuit function and their loss or dysfunction is implicated in human neuropsychiatric disease. In vitro methods for interneuron generation hold promise for studying human cellular and functional properties and ultimately therapeutic cell replacement. We used a protocol for generating cortical interneurons from hESCs and analyzed the properties and maturation timecourse of cell types using single-cell RNAseq (data available at GEO under: GSE93802 on March 10 2017). Transcriptomic profiles of the hESC-derived interneurons were compared to several different populations of cells from mid-gestation human neocortex that showed differing levels of PAX6 and SOX2 expression. For this study, 104 samples of 100 human neocortical cells each, have been sorted based on SOX2 and PAX6 expression, mRNA recovered from the fixed cells by FRISCR, and transcriptomic profiles generated by SmartSeq2. The RNA-seq data from the 104 100-cell samples is included in this dbGaP study.

  Study phs001276

• Genetic Control of Expression and Splicing in Developing Human Brain

  Most genetic risk for human diseases lies within non-coding regions of the genome that are predicted to regulate gene expression in a tissue- and stage-specific manner. Given the importance of regulatory pathways during brain development, we characterized the genetic control of the transcriptome in 201 mid-gestational human brains, identifying 7962 eQTL and 4635 sQTL. By integration with GWAS, we characterized the genes and isoforms contributing to specific neuropsychiatric disorders, including SCZ and ASD, as well as other cognition or behavioral-related phenotypes. SCZ and ASD impact distinct developmental gene co-expression modules, yet in both disorders, common and rare genetic variation converge. These analyses demonstrate the highly distinctive effects of transcriptional control, as well as divergent age-related contributions to disease. More broadly, these findings demonstrate the genetic mechanisms by which early developmental events have a striking and widespread influence on adult anatomical and behavioral phenotypes.

  Study phs001900

• Somatic Mutations and Cell Lineage in the Human Brain

  Genetic mutations causing human disease are conventionally thought to be inherited from one's parents and present in all somatic (body) cells. Increasingly however, somatic mutations are implicated in neurological diseases. Somatic mutations that arise during the cell divisions of prenatal brain development are inherited in clonal fashion and can cause neurodevelopmental diseases, even when present at low levels of mosaicism. In this study we use whole genome, RNA, and ATAC sequencing of single cells and bulk tissue to identify somatic mutations in control, and some disease, brains to: 1) identify and catalogue the mutations which shape the somatic neuronal genome; 2) perform a cell lineage analysis of the human brain using clonal somatic mutations in cortical neurons; 3) determine patterns of somatic mutations at different ages and in aging related disease phenotypes; and 4) relate cell lineage patterns to cell phenotype in the human brain through cell type-specific analyses.

  Study phs001485

• Rare Mendelian Disease in Old Order Amish and Mennonite Patients

  The Clinic for Special Children (CSC) has integrated biochemical and molecular methods into a rural pediatric practice serving Old Order Amish and Mennonite (Plain) children. Among the Plain people, we have used single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarrays to genetically map recessive disorders to large autozygous haplotype blocks (mean = 4.4 Mb) that contain many genes (mean = 79). For some, uninformative mapping or large gene lists preclude disease-gene identification by Sanger sequencing. Seven such conditions were selected for exome sequencing at the Broad Institute; all had been previously mapped at the CSC using low density SNP microarrays coupled with autozygosity and linkage analyses. Using between 1 and 5 patient samples per disorder, we identified sequence variants in the known disease-causing genes SLC6A3 and FLVCR1, and present evidence to strongly support the pathogenicity of variants identified in TUBGCP6, BRAT1, SNIP1, CRADD, and HARS. Our results reveal the power of coupling new genotyping technologies to population-specific genetic knowledge and robust clinical data.

  Study phs000623

• Identification and targeting of extremely high-risk gamma delta T-ALL in children

  Acute lymphoblastic leukemia expressing the gamma delta T cell receptor (γδ T-ALL) is an uncommon, poorly understood disease. We studied 200 pediatric γδ T-ALL enrolled on clinical trials to understand the clinical and genetic features of this disease, which showed variation in outcome according to age and genetic driver. γδ T-ALL diagnosed in children under three years of age was extremely high-risk and enriched for genetic alterations leading to both LMO2 activation and STAG2 inactivation. Using patient samples and isogenic cell lines, we show that inactivation of STAG2 profoundly perturbs chromatin organization by altering enhancer-promoter looping and results in deregulation of gene expression related to T-cell differentiation. High throughput drug screening identified a vulnerability in DNA repair pathways arising from STAG2 inactivation, which was efficaciously targeted by PARP inhibition. These data provide a diagnostic and therapeutic framework for classification and risk stratification of pediatric γδ T-ALL.

  Study EGAS50000000018

• Transcriptome alterations underlying metabolic dysfunction and liver disease in myotonic dystrophy type 1

  Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystem disorder affecting various organs, including the skeletal muscles, eyes, heart, central nervous system, and endocrine system. Liver dysfunction and lipid metabolism abnormalities are frequently observed in DM1 but are not fully understood. To explore the molecular basis of these abnormalities, transcriptome analysis was performed on postmortem liver samples from DM1 patients DM1 patients (n = 11) and disease control patients (n = 9) using bulkRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on the MGI DNBSEQ-G400RS. Differential gene expression and alternative splicing analyses revealed significant transcriptomic changes associated with lipid metabolism, liver fibrosis, and glucose homeostasis. Interestingly, transcriptome changes in DM1 livers also revealed partial resolution of sexual dimorphism in gene expression, along with unique sex-specific pathway alterations. A correlation between serum GGT levels and splicing abnormalities in DM1 patients was identified, suggesting a link between transcriptomic changes and clinical outcomes. This dataset provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying DM1-related liver dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities.

  Study JGAS000814

• The genomic landscape of relapsed infant and childhood KMT2A-rearranged acute leukemia

  To study the mechanisms of relapse in KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-r) acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we performed whole-genome and exome sequencing of infants and children with relapsed ALL/AML (n=36), and longitudinal deep-sequencing of 257 samples in 30 patients. Somatic alterations in drug-response genes, most commonly in TP53 and IKZF1 (64%), were highly enriched in early relapse ALL (79%, 9-36 months after diagnosis), but rare in very early relapse ALL (<9 months, 9%). A marked chemotherapy-exposure signature was detected for mutations in early relapse ALL but not in very early ALL or AML relapse, in line with different mechanisms of relapse. Longitudinal analyses could track residual leukemia cells, clonal drug responses, and the upcoming relapse. These results highlight that KMT2A-r ALL and AML evade therapy differently and provide new insights into the mechanisms of relapse in this highly lethal form of pediatric acute leukemia.

  Study EGAS00001008197

• A comprehensive human gastric cancer organoid biobank captures tumor subtype heterogeneity and enables therapeutic screening​

  Gastric cancer displays marked molecular heterogeneity with aggressive behavior and treatment resistance. Therefore, good in vitro models that encompass unique subtypes are urgently needed for precision medicine development. Here, we have established a primary gastric cancer organoid (GCO) biobank that comprises normal, dysplastic, cancer and lymph node metastases (n=63) from 34 patients, including detailed whole-exome and transcriptome analysis. The cohort encompasses most known molecular subtypes (including EBV, MSI, intestinal/CIN, and diffuse/GS, with CLDN18-ARHGAP6 or CTNND1-ARHGAP26 fusions or RHOA mutations), capturing regional heterogeneity and subclonal architecture, while their morphology, transcriptome, and genomic profiles remain closely similar to in vivo tumors, even after long-term culture. Large-scale drug screening revealed sensitivity to unexpected drugs that were recently approved or in clinical trials, including Napabucasin, Abemaciclib, and the ATR inhibitor VE-822. Overall, this new GCO biobank, with linked genomic data, provides a useful resource for studying both cancer cell biology and precision cancer therapy.

  Study EGAS00001003145

• APCDR Uganda GWAS: Genome-wide sequence variation and susceptibility loci for cardiometabolic traits in a sub-Saharan African population (UG2G component)

  Genomic studies in African populations provide unique opportunities to understand disease aetiology, human genetic diversity and population history in a regional and a global context. To leverage the relative benefits of different strategies, we undertook a combined approach of genotyping and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in a population-based study of 6,400 individuals from a geographically defined rural community in South-West Uganda. We present data from 4,778 individuals with genotypes for ~2.2 million SNPs from the Uganda GWAS resource (UGWAS), and sequence data on up to 1,978 individuals spanning 41.5M SNPs and 4.5M indels (UG2G); 343 individuals overlap between the two datasets. We highlight the value of the largest sequence panel from Africa to date as a global resource for variant discovery, imputation and understanding the mutational spectrum and its clinical relevance in African populations. Alongside phenotype data, we provide a rich new genomic resource for researchers in Africa and globally.

  Study EGAS00001000545

• Association of Age at Diagnosis and Genetic Mutations in Patients with Neuroblastoma

  Neuroblastoma is diagnosed over a wide age range from birth through young adulthood, and older age at diagnosis is associated with a decline in survivability. We performed whole genome sequencing of DNA from diagnostic tumors and their matched germlines from 40 patients with metastatic neuroblastoma obtained between 1987 and 2009. To identify genetic lesions that are associated with age at diagnosis in patients with metastatic neuroblastoma. Age groups at diagnosis included infants (0-18 months), children (18 months-12 years), and adolescents and young adults (>12 years). To confirm the findings from this discovery cohort, validation testing using tumors from an additional 64 patients obtained between 1985 and 2009 was also performed. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue was used for immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization. Telomere lengths were analyzed using the whole genome sequencing data, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and fluorescent in situ hybridization

  Study EGAS00001000213

• Single nucleus and in situ RNA sequencing reveals cell topographies in the human pancreas

  Molecular evidence of cellular heterogeneity in the human exocrine pancreas has not been established, due to the local concentration of hydrolytic enzymes that can rapidly degrade cells and RNA upon resection. Here we innovated single-nucleus RNA sequencing protocols, and profiled more than 120,000 cells from adult and neonatal human donors to create the first comprehensive atlas of human pancreas cells, including epithelial and non-epithelial constituents. Adult and neonatal pancreata shared common features, including the presence of previously undetected acinar subtypes, but also showed marked differences in the composition of the endocrine, endothelial, and immune compartments. Spatial cartography, including cell proximity mapping through in situ sequencing, revealed dynamic developmental cell topographies in the endocrine and exocrine pancreas. Our human pancreas cell atlas can be interrogated to understand pancreatic cell biology, and provides a crucial reference set for future comparisons with diseased tissue samples to map the cellular foundations of pancreatic diseases.

  Study EGAS00001004653

• Molecular evolution and clinical trajectories of prostate cancer identifies novel markers for risk stratification

  Prostate cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease that is thought to develop over many years. Identifying the earliest somatic changes can give important insights into the tumour evolution and aid in stratifying high- from low-risk diseases. Here we pursued integrative whole-genome, transcriptome and methylome-based analysis of early-onset prostate cancer patients. Characterisation of genomic alterations across 270 PCa tumours revealed age-related genomic alterations and mutation signatures including BRCAness and APOBEC. We used methylation- and expression-data to identify four molecular subgroups, which included a highly aggressive tumour subgroup that frequently involved recurrent duplications and increased expression of ESRP1. Analysis of 12,000 tissue-microarray tumour samples demonstrated that ESRP1 is a candidate biomarker associated with faster proliferation rate and shorter time to relapse. We combine the patterns of molecular co-occurrence, risk-stratification and subgroup information to deconvolute tumor heterogeneity, which reveal complex but recurrent clinical trajectories of prostate cancer.

  Study EGAS00001002923

• SARS‐CoV‐2 receptor ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are primarily expressed in bronchial transient secretory cells

  The SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic affecting the human respiratory system severely challenges public health and urgently demands for increasing our understanding of COVID‐19 pathogenesis, especially host factors facilitating virus infection and replication. SARS‐CoV‐2 was reported to enter cells via binding to ACE2, followed by its priming by TMPRSS2. Here, we investigate ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression levels and their distribution across cell types in lung tissue (twelve donors, 39,778 cells) and in cells derived from subsegmental bronchial branches (four donors, 17,521 cells) by single nuclei and single cell RNA sequencing, respectively. While TMPRSS2 is strongly expressed in both tissues, in the subsegmental bronchial branches ACE2 is predominantly expressed in a transient secretory cell type. Interestingly, these transiently differentiating cells show an enrichment for pathways related to RHO GTPase function and viral processes suggesting increased vulnerability for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Our data provide a rich resource for future investigations of COVID‐19 infection and pathogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001004419

• Comprehensive epigenomic profiling reveals the extent of disease-specific chromatin states and informs drug target discovery in ankylosing spondylitis

  Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common, highly heritable inflammatory arthritis characterised by enthesitis of the spine and sacroiliac joints. Genome-wide association studies have revealed >100 genetic associations but their functional effects remain largely unresolved. Here, we present a comprehensive transcriptomic and epigenomic map of disease-relevant blood immune cell subsets from AS patients and healthy controls. We report differential disease signatures for specific genomic regions from individual -omic modalities and multi-omic integration, showing enrichment at genetically associated loci and evidence for altered monocyte function in AS. We link putative functional SNPs with cognate genes using high-resolution Capture-C at 10 loci, including PTGER4 and ETS1. We also show how disease-specific functional genomic data can be integrated with GWAS evidence to enhance therapeutic target discovery. This study combines multiple epigenetic and transcriptional analysis with GWAS to identify cell types, candidate drug target genes and transcriptional regulation of likely pathogenic relevance.

  Study EGAS00001006233

• The Genetic Landscape of Ocular Adnexa MALT Lymphoma Reveals Frequent Aberrations in NFAT and MEF2B Signaling Pathways

  A comprehensive constellation of somatic non-silent mutations and copy number (CN) variations in ocular adnexa marginal zone lymphoma (OAMZL) is unknown. By utilizing whole-exome sequencing in 69 tumors we define the genetic landscape of OAMZL. Mutations and CN changes in CABIN1 (30%), RHOA (26%), TBL1XR1 (22%), and CREBBP (17%) and inactivation of TNFAIP3 (26%) were among the most common aberrations. Candidate cancer driver genes cluster in the B-cell receptor (BCR), NFkB, NOTCH and NFAT signaling pathways. One of the most commonly altered genes is CABIN1, a calcineurin inhibitor acting as a negative regulator of the NFAT and MEF2B transcriptional activity. CABIN1 deletions enhance BCR-stimulated NFAT and MEF2B transcriptional activity, while CABIN1 mutations enhance only MEF2B transcriptional activity by impairing binding of mSin3a to CABIN1. Our data provide an unbiased identification of genetically altered genes that may play a role in the molecular pathogenesis of OAMZL and serve as therapeutic targets.

  Study EGAS00001006631

• Comprehensive epigenomic profiling reveals the extent of disease-specific chromatin states and informs drug target discovery in ankylosing spondylitis

  Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common, highly heritable inflammatory arthritis characterised by enthesitis of the spine and sacroiliac joints. Genome-wide association studies have revealed >100 genetic associations but their functional effects remain largely unresolved. Here, we present a comprehensive transcriptomic and epigenomic map of disease-relevant blood immune cell subsets from AS patients and healthy controls. We report differential disease signatures for specific genomic regions from individual -omic modalities and multi-omic integration, showing enrichment at genetically associated loci and evidence for altered monocyte function in AS. We link putative functional SNPs with cognate genes using high-resolution Capture-C at 10 loci, including PTGER4 and ETS1. We also show how disease-specific functional genomic data can be integrated with GWAS evidence to enhance therapeutic target discovery. This study combines multiple epigenetic and transcriptional analysis with GWAS to identify cell types, candidate drug target genes and transcriptional regulation of likely pathogenic relevance.

  Study EGAS00001006945

• Integrative genomic analyses in adipocytes implicate DNA methylation in human obesity and diabetes

  DNA methylation variations are prevalent in human obesity but evidence of a causative role in disease pathogenesis is limited. Here, we combine epigenome-wide association and integrative genomics to investigate the impact of adipocyte DNA methylation variations in human obesity. We discover extensive DNA methylation changes that are robustly associated with obesity (N=190 samples, 691 loci in subcutaneous and 173 loci in visceral adipocytes, P<1x10-7). We connect obesity-associated methylation variations to transcriptomic changes at >500 target genes, and identify putative methylation-transcription factor interactions. Through Mendelian Randomisation, we infer causal effects of methylation on obesity and obesity-induced metabolic disturbances at 59 independent loci. Targeted methylation sequencing, CRISPR-activation and gene silencing in adipocytes, further identifies regional methylation variations, underlying regulatory elements and novel cellular metabolic effects. Our results indicate DNA methylation is an important determinant of human obesity and its metabolic complications, and reveal mechanisms through which altered methylation may impact adipocyte functions.

  Study EGAS00001007118